Loop forming fastening systems, such as zip ties, are versatile and highly useful devices. Most zip ties are made as injection moldings of tough resilient plastics and function by forming a loop that can be tightened until a feature or an object being secured is completely secured and encompassed by a loop of the fastener. A shortcoming of such zip ties is that a user cannot form the loop such that the loop is locked at a selected size. Conventional zip ties generally continue to tighten the loop as long as the zip tie tail is pulled through the head.
For some applications conventional zip ties may not be suitable. For example, an over-tightened loop might create a flow restriction by compressing a flexible fluid line. Conventional zip ties may also not be suitable for applications that require specific loop sizes.